Sundance Film Festival 2025 – Writer/director Loren Waters’ short film Tiger is a fascinating dive into the life of award-winning Ingenious artist and elder Dana Tiger. The documentary focuses on the highs and lows of her life, including tragic losses of loved ones. Yet, the documentary is punctuated with hope and the resurgence of her family’s iconic Tiger t-shirt company.

For the most part, the documentary features one-on-one footage with Tiger reflecting upon her life. This includes the loss of her father, who died from a gun accident, as well as the death of her brother, who was murdered. Yet, despite such heavy loss, the artist persisted, as did her family’s t-shirt company. As much as the documentary focuses on Tiger’s life, it’s also a history of the iconic company. Waters includes some cool vintage footage of her family screen printing the t-shirts, while Tiger narrates how the company formed. This includes its various challenges and its recent rebirth.

Tiger has plenty of stories to tell. I easily could have listened to her personal tales and wisdom beyond the 12 minutes of this short film. The history of the t-shirt company is equally as fascinating as Tiger’s biography. Really, the story of the company is the story of her family history, including the lows. Yet, despite the setbacks and challenges, Tiger’s optimism remains consistent throughout the documentary. She even mentions how her grandson will take over the company. It will persist well beyond what her family initially imagined. That’s a certainly a story worth telling.

Tiger is an inspiring documentary about an Ingenious artist and her family. This film offers much more than the oral history of a t-shirt company. It’s an uplifting and engaging 12 minutes that warrants a feature-length film. Give us more Tiger.